This is the first vow renewal we’ve shared on GWS and the story is so super sweet! Wei (along with the help of his friend Caroline) planned a surprise vow renewal for his wife of twelve years (although they have been together for 19 years!) His surprise included informing Diane’s workplace, booking plane tickets, coordinating the event design + florals, and booking the hotel + music! Wow, what a surprise! It took place in South Lake Tahoe at the super awesome, brand new Basecamp Hotel.

How it went down according to Diane: “Well, Wei woke me up at 4:30 in the morning on the day of our wedding anniversary to let me know that he had a trip planned. I was to pack an overnight bag, do my make up and get going. I had no idea where we were going, and didn’t even know we were leaving Canada. We ended up in Lake Tahoe and I presumed we were going for a nice dinner. When we arrived at the beach, I didn’t want to enter because I thought we would be crashing what looked like someone else’s wedding. I didn’t know that Wei had planned this vow renewal until i stepped foot on the beach!!”

I can’t think of anything else much sweeter! Big congrats to Diane + Wei and thanks so much to Caroline and her team at Tinywater Photography for the photos.

Most memorable was not a moment, but the period from stepping foot onto the beach to the end of the renewal. In that period, I realized I was being photographed by our very good friend Caroline. I was handed the bouquet and guided up the "aisle". I looked over and Wei had tears in his eyes. And then I realized that our "officiant" was good friend Josh. Wei read me his vows that he had googled I'm sure, and I dittoed it. It was such an emotional ride filled with happy tears!

Diane’s pretty dress is from Club Monaco. Wei had purchased and surprised her with the dress when they arrived.

Interested in advertising with us?

Fern + Jeff both love the outdoors and nature, so as soon as they saw all the gorgeous tall trees at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California, they knew they found their wedding venue (yep, part of Malibu is in the Santa Monica mountains, it’s not all beach!). Since Fern has a design background, she wanted lots of creative input + handmade touches incorporated into her day. With the help of her handy husband, they made bunting seating flags, honey jar favors, paper flowers, a video slideshow, chalkboard menus and invitations. They hired Sweet Emilia Jane as their wedding planner and she did an amazing job at bringing their vision to life. With photos by Brandon Kidd Photography the day is simply stunning! Congrats to Fern + Jeff!

How lovely are their bouquets by The Little Branch? Love the peonies, thistles, and king proteas mixed with wild flowers.

We had so many great memories of this day that its hard to just pinpoint one. Some favorites are:
Our first look. It was so unexpected and surprisingly emotional. We both completely broke down and cried when we saw each other. My husband is as cool as a cucumber when it comes to his emotions, and it was the first time I ever saw him cry. It was such a sweet and tender moment. During the ceremony, we felt an overwhelming feeling of love from family and friends who flew from all over the world from Europe to Asia to South America, just to witness this small moment in our lives together. It was a magical feeling! Last but not least, my dad doing a handstand on the dance floor, schooling our friends on how to breakdance. Coolest dad ever! :)

Have fun with the planning process and try not to let yourself get too stressed out. I'm sure you've heard it a million times but your wedding day goes by extremely fast. This is the big day to enjoy the rewards of what you have been planning for months. Little hiccups are bound to happen, but the most important thing is to just let it all go and focus on what really matters the most: fun, laughter, family, friends and each other.

Interested in advertising with us?

Happy Friday lovelies! Hope you all had another wonderful week. If you are in LA and looking for a fun activity this weekend, the Renegade Craft Fair is one fun option. :) I know I’m hoping we can stop by for a bit this weekend – perfect place to find fun prints for the home, cute favors, jewelry and lots more handmade things. So, I was inspired by the festive wedding we shared this morning and thought it would be fun to share a few things inspired by that theme, so here are some fun picks!